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Brocade VDX (discontinued) vs. Cisco Optical Networking

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Brocade VDX (discontinued)

    Score9.6 out of 10
    N/AThe Extreme VDX series of switches (formerly Brocade VDX) was acquired by Extreme Networks in 2017 during the Broadcom acquisition of Brocade and the selling off of some of the company's assets. The products, including the latest ExtremeSwitching VDX 6740, are now discontinued.N/A

    Cisco Optical Networking

    Score8.8 out of 10
    N/ACisco Optical Networking is a suite of products supporting data center networking, including the NCS 1000, 2000, 4000, 4200, and the Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager (Cisco EPN Manager), as well as Cisco ONS 15000 series platforms and devices.N/A
    Pricing
    Brocade VDX (discontinued)Cisco Optical Networking
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Brocade VDX (discontinued)Cisco Optical Networking
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Brocade VDX (discontinued)Cisco Optical Networking
    Considered Both Products
    Discontinued Products
    No answer on this topic
    Cisco
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    94%
    Would buy again
    15 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    15 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    94%
    Happy with the feature set
    15 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    12 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    14 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    Brocade VDX (discontinued)Cisco Optical Networking
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Cisco Nexus Series Switches
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Cisco Nexus Series Switches
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Cisco Nexus Series Switches
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Cisco Nexus Series Switches
    Score9.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Brocade VDX (discontinued)Cisco Optical Networking
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.7
    (3 ratings)
    8.2
    (14 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.9
    (6 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Brocade VDX (discontinued)Cisco Optical Networking
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Discontinued Products
    My experience since I started working with Extreme VDX has been great and everything has been working effectively. I give it 10/10 in performance since it has never failed us during our normal operations. Networking across our company and WAN has been covered by powerful fabric technologies that enhance secure and transparent business operations. It supports both wired and wireless connections with switches that network them through our applications.
    Incentivized
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    Cisco
    Based on my experience, I think it's a goldmine for the experienced professional and a hectic job for newbies. I recommend newbies to have some experience and then jump to Cisco Optical Networking so that they can easily understand what they paid for and take the best out of it. It's best for network scalability so I highly recommend it to those who intend to scale their network in the near future however, if you know that your network will remain the same and you don't require it, there are cheaper options within Cisco.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Discontinued Products
    • The VDX is very simple to configure.
    • Documentation on the product is amazing.
    • The VDX will interface with any data center hardware; there is interoperability with all the BIG vendors: Dell, EMC, NetApp.
    • I have a pair of VDXs running at my DR site that has been up for over 8 years without any issues!
    Incentivized
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    Cisco
    • Makes use of limited fiber effectively.
    • Allows for the deployment of smart P2P MPLS links that automatically re-route around outages.
    • Simplifies the overhead of managing multiple technologies by converging the technologies.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Discontinued Products
    • I once had a problem with a USB drive and had a lot of trouble fixing it. We can use more documents and a better way to recover the drive. I understand the problems that every vendor faces with proprietary software. If you are a customer, this should not be a problem.
    • It has limited commands.
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    Cisco
    • A simplified management platform that provides services without having to invest In multiple products, each with an additional cost. The product should just come with the services and features.
    • Simplifying the BOM selection process. There are to many hidden part numbers you need to know.
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    We will renew our use of Cisco Optical Networking due to its reliability in maintaining high-performance, low-latency connections, its scalability in supporting growing bandwidth demands, and its integration with existing Cisco infrastructure, which simplifies management and reduces operational complexity. Additionally, its robust security features and automation capabilities have enhanced network resilience, making it a valuable long-term solution for our expanding needs.
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    It just works depending on what your requirement is. Cisco also provides a well formed cheat sheet on which gear to use for which scenario. Very convenient. It makes my job as a Sales Engineer easier when I have a short timeline to get a solution designed. It is also build well enough to be used in austere environments.
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    I would rate the overall support for Cisco Optical Networking at 9/10. The support team is highly responsive, knowledgeable, and effective in resolving issues quickly. Cisco’s comprehensive online resources, documentation, and community forums also make it easy to find solutions. However, there is always room for improvement in terms of response time during peak periods.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Discontinued Products
    I have not had an opportunity to use a similar featured platform in my networking journey. All I have learned is that Extreme VDX has great potential for controlling and managing networking operations in our company. The data analytics insights that we receive from data analysis have developed great planning and decision-making infrastructure. The speed of operation is always stable with high data transfer rate.
    Incentivized
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    Cisco
    We selected Cisco Optical Networking after evaluating alternatives such as Ciena, Nokia, and Infinera. Cisco stood out for its seamless integration with our existing network infrastructure, which already relied heavily on Cisco solutions. This made deployment and management significantly easier. The Cisco NCS 2000 series offered flexible ROADM capabilities, allowing us to scale bandwidth dynamically without extensive infrastructure changes. Additionally, Cisco’s Evolved Programmable Network Manager (EPNM) provided intuitive management and automation, streamlining provisioning and monitoring tasks. While Ciena’s WaveLogic Ai impressed us with its adaptive modulation and Nokia’s 1830 PSS offered strong scalability, both required more complex configurations that didn’t align as well with our existing setup. Infinera’s GX Series excelled in long-haul capacity, but Cisco’s modular design better suited our evolving bandwidth needs. Ultimately, Cisco Optical Networking provided the best combination of scalability, integration ease, and operational efficiency, making it the ideal choice for our organization.
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Discontinued Products
    • We definitely have a great ROI on the VDX cluster at my DR site; 8 years without issue!
    • It takes so very little of my time because it has been so reliable, which allows me to be productive in other areas of the network.
    • After the transition from Brocade to Extreme VDX, it was a little rocky with the code at first but things have improved with R & D.
    Incentivized
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    Cisco
    • The best impact it had was to lower my network maintenance cost by the time span of more than a year
    • It might look a bit pricey at the beginning, but along with time, you'll feel that you're actually saving a lot of your time and money in terms of network management
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots

    Cisco Optical Networking Screenshots

    Screenshot of Cisco Network Convergence System 2006Screenshot of Cisco Network Convergence System 2006Screenshot of Cisco Network Convergence System 2006